Gluten Free Apple Muffins with Streusel are one of my go-to autumn recipes, perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack.
Apple muffins have a moist, tender crumb filled with freshly-grated apples, applesauce, and all of the warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. They are topped with a generous layer of buttery, crumbly streusel that sort of reminds me of the Entenmann's Donuts with the crumb topping. I ate too many of those as a kid, and now look at me.
Jump to Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. You can read my full disclosure here. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting Wonders of Cooking so that I can continue to provide you with free gluten-free recipes.
Looking for More Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas?
- Gluten Free Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins | Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Pumpkin Muffins | Gluten Free Muffins with Cream Cheese Drizzle
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Glaze - Gluten Free
- Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling - Gluten Free
- Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest | Healthy Breakfast
- Gluten Free Banana Bread Muffins - Banana Nut Muffins (One Bowl)
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins - Gluten Free Breakfast

Gluten Free Apple Muffins with Streusel Ingredients:
For the Apple Muffins:
- High quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag).
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Ground nutmeg
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vegetable oil, or other neutral-tasting oil
- Plain applesauce
- Apple, fresh and crisp like a Honeycrisp or Gala. Tip: I like to grate my apple instead of chopping it. The grated apple incorporates more into the crumb, making these muffins super moist.
- Squeeze of lemon juice
For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
- High quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag).
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
How To Make Streusel:

- Combine the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl.
- Add the melted butter, and then mix until well incorporated.
- Using a fork, stir in the gluten-free all purpose flour. Do not over-mix. The mixture should form medium-sized crumbles. If your crumbles are too large, then you can use the fork in a jabbing motion to break them in half.
- Set aside until ready to use.
Feeling crazy? You can also add in some chopped nuts to your streusel mixture. Chopped pecans and walnuts work the best.
How To Make Gluten Free Apple Streusel Muffins:

- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Prepare a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or butter; or use a silicone cupcake tray.
- Grate the apple, and squeeze the fresh lemon juice on top. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar, oil, applesauce, and egg. Whisk until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). Whisk until evenly distributed.
- Fold in the grated apple with a silicone spatula.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake tray. I use ¼ cup of batter per muffin.
- Spoon the streusel mixture evenly over top of each muffin. Lightly pat the streusel with the back of a spoon so that it stays in place. Tip: Place a cookie sheet underneath your cupcake tray. This makes it easier to move in and out of the oven. Plus, it will catch any of the mixture if it falls out.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425 F. Turn the oven down to 350 F and bake an additional 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. All ovens bake differently. Please keep an eye on your muffins so you don't overcook them.

- Remove from oven. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing from the cupcake tray and setting them on a wire cooling rack.
- Enjoy!

How To Store Gluten Free Apple Muffins:
Store Gluten Free Apple Streusel Muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Additionally, you can refrigerate or freeze these muffins to prolong their shelf life. Once ready to eat, remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Warm in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften.
Equipment
You only need basic tools to make Gluten Free Apple Muffins. I recommend:
- A wire cooling rack is a must to prevent soggy bottoms
I like to use a cookie scoop when scooping muffins into the tray
A silicone cupcake tray or metal nonstick muffin tin. Sometimes I even use a jumbo muffin tin - just be sure to increase the bake time to 30-35 minutes or so.
Reusable cupcake liners eliminate the need for paper cups

Did You Make These Gluten Free Apple Muffins? Leave a 5-Star Rating Below!

Gluten Free Apple Muffins with Streusel
Tried this recipe? Leave a 5-star rating above! Your rating helps support the making of more tested, delicious gluten-free recipes.
Equipment
- reusable silicone cupcake liners optional
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
- ⅓ cup high quality gluten-free all-purpose flour containing xanthan gum I use Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoon + 2 tsp light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Gluten Free Apple Muffins:
- 1 cup high quality gluten-free all-purpose flour containing xanthan gum I use Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain applesauce
- 1 medium-sized apple grated, unpeeled Honeycrisp, Gala
- squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
- Combine the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl.
- Add the melted butter, and then mix until well incorporated.
- Using a fork, stir in the gluten-free all purpose flour. Do not over-mix. or it will turn into a paste The mixture should form medium-sized crumbles. If your crumbles are too large, then you can use the fork in a jabbing motion to break them in half.
- Set aside until ready to use.
For the Gluten Free Apple Muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Prepare a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or butter; or use a silicone cupcake tray.
- Grate the apple, and squeeze the fresh lemon juice on top. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar, oil, applesauce, and egg. Whisk until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). Whisk until evenly distributed.
- Fold in the grated apple with a silicone spatula.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake tray. I use ¼ cup of batter per muffin.
- Spoon the streusel mixture evenly over top of each muffin. Lightly pat the streusel with the back of a spoon so that it stays in place. Tip: Place a cookie sheet underneath your cupcake tray. This makes it easier to move in and out of the oven. Plus, it will catch any of the mixture if it falls out.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425 F. Turn the oven down to 350 F and bake an additional 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. All oven times vary.
- Remove from oven. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing from the cupcake tray and setting them on a wire cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Leave a Reply